Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-05-14
~. e. T. II. department.
EDITED BY THE WOMAN Is CHRISTIAN TEN
PERANCE UNION.
: For God, and Home, and Natiys Land. y
"PINK BOOTS

found SO interesting.
"Wha.a-atyer lookin' a.at ~
"Well, old fellow" answered Billy
Dorr, " we're looking for beauty to
come out o. that store over there.n
:" A b-e.a-u.tie ~
"Yes, a beauty; but go on, there's
no use o. your lingering to see Pink
Boots; your old red eyes can't see
half across the street."
But the rude boy was mistaken !;
The "red eyes " were not quite so
bloodshot as usual, and they were
looking with as much interest as the
younger eyes at Pink Boots, who
just then opened the door of the
store opposite them and came ont.
Pink Boots, who was beautiful girl
of ten years, had her hands full of
nowers-roses, lilies, and carnations.
She walked halfdozen or more
steps down the walk, and was just
stepping into handsome carriage
when another little girl came in
sight. For brief moment the two
children stood in strong contrast
Florence Burr with glowing, happy
lace, aud Celia Hunt with her pale,
distressed one. Florence was dress.
ed in an deliberately embroidered
pink cashmere, and her feet were
encased in beautiful pink kid but.
toned boots; for Florence was go
ing to tea party. She wore also
broad brimmed hat with nodding
pink plumes. AS for Celia, she
wore an old faded dress, so short
that it revealed her bruised ankles,
which were bare like her feet. An
old vail tied about her punched face
did duty as head protector, but no
wrap covered her shoulders, although
one was much needed this chilly
day.
The carriage drove away with
Florence, and Celia stood gazing
after it. The drunken man saw the
poor child, so did the boys. The
latter laughed, and Billy Dorr said,
81 tell you it pays better to sell
liquor than it does to drink it.
What's your opinion, Daddy Hunt"
Daddy Hunt" did not answer
he stood stupidity gazing at his bare.
footed, weary.faced child.
81 say, old fellow, did you buy
Celia's fall outfit at the same store
that Pink Boots father bought
hers %
"Shut up, now, will you9 If you
don't I'll knock the breath out of
you"
The drunkard spoke savagely and
raised his hand to execute his threat,
when suddenly a little arm touched
his, and a voice said coaxingly,
"Come, father"
The man suffered himself to be
led away.
1t was long walk to the drunk.
ards home. Before he reached it |
he was sober.
Cecilia" he said, would you like
some pink boots?"
"Like Florence Burr's the publ. |
cans daughters 7" she asked. |
eyes, like hers"
Ono father, l would not want
them"
"Why not 2"
"They wouldn't correspond With
my rags" the child said bitterly
"and / wouldn't wear Florence
Burr's pink boots if / had silk
dresses TO wear with them" she
added savagely. !
AS father and daughter entered
the house the mother arose, put the
sleeping babe in its wretched cradle,
and said, "Come to supper"
Such supper for family of six
only part of stale loaf of bread
and some weak tea. The patient,
weary wife would not have been
surprised if her husband had thrown
the bread across the room at the
wall and had hurled the teapot after
it cursing her at the same time, as
he had often done before, but she
was surprised when he rose from
the table just after seating himself
and said huskily, "eat this miser-
able stuff if you can, poor things! /
am going out" r-
AT nine o'clock a face peered
through the little curtainless window
of the kitchen. The eyes saw a des-
Olate picture. 1t was this A bare
cold looking room; haggard wo,
man bending over sick babe; a.
little sad-faced girl fallen asleep on
the hard floor while bravely await
ing for father" and two pale.faced
boys asleep on a low bed against
the wall. Upon the boys faces were
traces Of tears, for they were only
little fellows of four and six, and
had cried themselves to sleep be.
cause they were hungry.
The face moved from the window.
and the man to whom it belonged
opened the door and walked in.
Wife," he said, bending down to
kiss his wife's worn face for the first
time i'm years, "I've been an idiot
and brute, and I'll not ask you to
forgive me tonight. I'll wait until
you find out that L am a changed
man--thank God that l am! All !!
Celia, you're waking, child. Florence